Lahore, July 3, 2025: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday ruled that former prime minister Imran Khan was involved in orchestrating the violent protests that erupted on May 9, 2023, rejecting his post-arrest bail plea on charges of criminal conspiracy and abetment.
In its detailed judgment, the court cited testimonies from two police officials — Inspector Ismat Kamal and Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Hassan Afzal — who alleged that Khan had convened key meetings in the lead-up to the riots.
According to the written order, the meetings were held on May 4 at Chakri Rest Area in Rawalpindi, and on May 7 and 9 in Lahore. These findings, the court noted, discredited the defence’s argument that Khan’s incarceration during the violence excluded his involvement.
“These statements clearly attract the provisions of Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and Section 121-A (abetting mutiny) of the Pakistan Penal Code,” the judgment said, adding that both sections entail serious legal consequences.
The court observed that Khan had refused to cooperate with the investigation process, even after authorities obtained court approval to conduct photogrammetry, polygraph, and voice-matching tests within jail premises.
Despite the submission of audio and video evidence, along with transcripts from the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), investigators were unable to complete forensic analysis due to Khan’s alleged non-cooperation.
The bench also took note of Khan’s prior conviction in the Al-Qadir Trust case, stating that it remained unchallenged during the hearing. The court remarked that his alleged actions had contributed to the loss of lives and destruction of public property.
Citing the prohibitory clause of Section 497 of the Code of Criminal Procedure — which bars bail in serious offences — the court ruled that the case warranted no further inquiry, and that no new grounds existed to justify bail.
“In collective consideration of the facts, we are not inclined to grant post-arrest bail to the petitioner,” the order concluded.
The May 9 events, which followed Khan’s brief arrest in a separate case, saw widespread unrest, including attacks on military installations, prompting a sweeping crackdown on his party and supporters.
